Editorial: BV politics still twist and turn

Blink and you may miss another contention, controversy, civic setback, ornery word or condescending comment in Buena Vista Township.

A couple of elements coalesced this month to keep those embers alive. One involved the state police. Another, the township treasurer. A community group and a trustee chipped in. Together, they paint a picture of a town teetering dangerously back into dysfunction.

First, the community group: In BV, it's called Watchful Citizens, or WatCit for short. Members used the Freedom of Information Act to find out about some township-paid, out-of-state junkets three officials took last summer. Limousines apparently were the get-around-town vehicle of choice, though in one instance township taxpayers footed the bill for a rented car, a ticket that car received and the fine for the car when it ended up impounded.

Not exactly the best way to inspire pride in public officials, eh?

Next, the police: Armed with the WatCit information and a search warrant, they went to the Township Hall and seized financial documents that included travel expenses, employee reimbursements and credit card accounts. They also took away Manager Martin V. Williams' township credit card.

That was back in January, eight months ago. Reasonable minds can cut some slack for a labor-intensive investigation, especially if the bookkeeping is bad or if the paperwork puzzle is complicated or if it's low priority. But eight months? This is a criminal case, and the longer it drags out the more it's likely to diminish confidence in law enforcement capabilities as well as honesty in government.

Williams already has another township credit card. In fact, someone asked for the second one before the cops took away the first one. What was the thinking there?

Enter Township Clerk Barbara A. Montgomery. She's the one who pays the bills and, given the pending investigation, she's leery about Williams' credit card invoices. She wants to put the bills in two piles: Williams' in one, all the rest in another. Then she wants the trustees to vote on whether to pay just one or both piles.

That's understandable. Get as many fingerprints on that vote as possible. Call it political protection.

One trustee, Robert L. Martin, doesn't agree. He wants business as usual until the police tell them what to do. OK, except this is how Martin acknowledged Montgomery's request: "I see what you're doing, sweetheart."

How patronizing. Martin apparently has aced his Cro-Magnon etiquette classes.

And here's the capper:

The board decided to pass the whole bill-paying buck to its Policy Committee. Want to guess who's on that three-member panel? Surprise. Trustee Gregory K. Carter and Supervisor Dwayne A. Parker, both of whom joined Williams on out-of-state junkets.

This, then, is the working environment. Maybe the state police do deserve more time.